


Brighten the Night

by sokha



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angst, Bad Ideas, Beginnings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Moon God! Jun, Mythology - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Sun God! Minghao, Tags May Change, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23694310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sokha/pseuds/sokha
Summary: When the Sun meets the Moon, he is captivated by the sight. But how much is he willing to risk just to dance under the moonlight?
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups & Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Wen Jun Hui | Jun & Xu Ming Hao | The8, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Prologue: Drawn to the Ones Who Never Yawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their paths cross and suddenly everything changes. Minghao is thinking about old dreams he once had.

_When my moon rises_

_Your sun rises as well under the same sky_

_In this different time_

_Our hearts are connected under the same sky_

_NCT 127 – Sun & Moon_

☼

The two met on June 14th, when dawn had just begun. Minghao, the sun god, sat up in a tree waiting for the sun to rise, so that he could wash over the land in a yellow glow. With his slender hands, he was meticulously choosing which shade of yellow the sky should be this time. The moon god, unknown to him, was somewhere nearby. At this time, Minghao knew the moon god's job of brushing away the dark hues of blue from the morning sky was almost done. He did this every dawn for the sun god, who he had vague knowledge of, to have a blank canvas to paint on. The two had never met before, only knowing the other’s presence and existence through mortals’ mythology and talk amongst higher ups. Usually one left immediately after their job was done, for fear of the consequences for stepping into hours not reigned by their own. But that was no surprise, the moon does not dwell in the burning daylight, just like how the sun does not dance in the darkness of the night sky. 

At dawn and dusk , hypothetically, they could meet. Dawn and dusk. The two moments where the sun and moon give the sky to the other, with promises of returning it once again. As Hao was scanning his surroundings, he noticed a boy, who was rather tall and had ashy brown hair, resting against a cherry tree. The person seemed rather still and quiet. Their face glowing with a calm aura. He had never seen this person before and wasn’t accustomed to mortals roaming around at this hour. Carefully, Minghao approached the other male. 

“So who are you?” He inquires.  
The tall boy jumped at this question and turned around. His eyes locked onto Minghao. There was tension between them, a magnetic pull. They stare into each other's eyes for quite a while, taking every cell and detail.

Minghao presses his question once more. 

“Well then," pushing his blonde hair back with slight irritation, "come on now. Who are you?” Minghao asked again. 

The brown haired boy squirms a little before replying. “I’m Wen Junhui, the moon god. But Jun works too.” Junhui replies, then pauses before going on, “I presume you’re Xu Minghao?” 

“Yes,” Minghao said with a surprised, raised eyebrow, “but how did you know that??”

“I could tell by that” Jun points to the sun earring dangling off the sun god's earlobe. 

The charm itself was a relic, passed down every generation to the new sun god. However the current owner is allowed to modify it to match their style and taste. The moon lineage had a similar one as well. For Jun, Minghao noticed the charm was attached to a silver band, which hung loosely in his wrist.

“Ah alright. So how come we’ve never meant?” Minghao cocked his head to the side.  
“Different worlds I guess," the moon god shrugs, "day and night you know?”

Minghao nods and lets out a slight hum in agreement. They don't speak for the rest of the time, which is only a few minutes because the sun is about to rise. 

"Well, it was nice meeting you! But I have to get going." Jun says, "I'll see you eventually!!" He sprints off in a flurry. 

Minghao just stares at the other’s back as he runs off into the sunrise, thinking about how odd yet peculiar the moon god was. 

In the daytime, Minghao sat in the clouds miles away from the ground. He dreamed and wondered what nighttime looked like, more specifically how things looked underneath pale moonlight. He has only seen it in the library anthologies or hints of it when the moon god, who he now knows as Jun, was doing his job. But he's never danced in that lunar glow. He took those silly dreams away long ago. Though now he craves for it. But there was nothing under the sun that could satisfy such temptation. 

///

The sun is setting and Minghao has already begun reeling in all the bright colors from the sky. He takes his time as usual, but works with intent to quicken the process. Minghao hopes to catch even a glimpse of Jun. And he does, and it leaves the warmest of smiles on his face. They talk briefly before Minghao has to go, like always. And they go like this for a while. Talking about the things they have not seen before. With one arriving and the other departing. With Minghao always needing more time so direly. He hopes there’s something out there that will give him more time. Until then, he’ll enjoy the time he has with Junhui.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping to turn this story into something that people can enjoy.


	2. Part I: The Faraway Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minghao just wants what he's not supposed to have.

_“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world”_

_John Keating_ _from Dead Poets Society_

☼

Even though Minghao has known Junhui for only a few weeks, he felt something odd. This fleeting figure was the subject of his mind at all moments. He couldn’t really put an emotion or word to it, but it felt warm and nice. When Minghao looked at Junhui smiling, he swore he was seeing something brighter than the sun’s rays. Oh how paradoxical for the moon to feel so warm and bright in front of him. It hurt him in a way that he thought wasn’t possible. He didn’t know how much longer he could take this feeling. Minghao hated it so much, he wished he could just rip it out his chest and let it burn in the sun. But this feeling was connected to Jun, so he couldn’t possibly do that. He needed to keep anything that ties him to the moon god, even if it’s pain. So he would bear the emotion somehow, or at least find a way to soothe the reason behind it. 

It was dawn in late June. Minghao had made his way to the spot where they always meet. Under the same cherry tree where he first saw Jun. The place where they did their job. And like every dawn, Jun was there. The boy looked so peaceful sitting there, the fresh morning air. Minghao almost didn’t want to disrupt the beauty he was seeing, but they only had a few minutes before Jun would have to go. 

“Pleasure seeing you here.” Minghao says as he plops himself besides Jun.

Jun smiles as warm as usual, stretching his arms out with a low grumble coming out of his mouth. “The feeling is mutual.” 

“How was the night?” Minghao asks like he always does, because he never gets tired hearing about how the stars look against a deep purple sky. Minghao never gets tired of Jun talking either. 

“Oh it was lovely. There weren’t as many stars visible last night because it was cloudy.” Jun says as he tries to recall the visuals, “I wish you could see it for yourself though, you always ask about it.”

“Me too.” Minghao says solemnly. It’s one of the only things he wants now. To be under the night sky. To be in the same place as Junhui for longer than five minutes. Five stupid minutes isn’t enough for him now. How can it be when he’s so painfully drawn to Jun?

“Hey Jun?” Minghao quietly asks, “Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be under the sun? To feel the warm sunlight tickling your skin and for everything to look so bright?”

Jun pauses for a moment, then speaks. It seems like he wants to choose his words meticulously and cautiously. “I mean sometimes I do. It’s natural to be curious and wonder about the things we have yet to see and have not experienced before with our own eyes. But I know I can’t, so I try to be content with what the books tell me about the daytime and enjoy the things I am fortunate enough to see. Does that make sense?”

It wasn’t the answer Minghao wanted, but he’ll have to settle for it. Maybe he’s the only one with such pipe dreams. The only one daydreaming about such impossible things. “I suppose.” Minghao sighs, sinking further against the tree’s trunk. 

Jun looks at the sun god with concern, but eventually looks away to see the sun peaking out from above the horizon line. The moon god sighs audibly. Minghao can sense him lifting himself off the ground. 

“It seems like it’s my time to go. I’ll see you around Hao.” Jun quietly says, his voice peaceful and calm as usual.

Minghao stretches out a hand as though to grasp his wrist, but Jun’s voice stops him. He lets his hand fall into his lap. It was such a feeble and stupid attempt on Minghao’s part. 

“You probably shouldn’t do that.” says Jun, “We don’t know what will happen if we touch. It could be bad since we essentially exist in separate realms. That’s what the rules suggest at least. I’ll see if the anthologies in the Lunar Library mentions anything about physical touch. We should be cautious for now on, people might talk if we get caught.”

And just like that, Jun leaves. Like always. Because each dusk and dawn they share is like the one before. It’s nice, in the moment, just being there with the one person you always think of. But it hurts knowing that it’s short lived and that reality will shatter the fantasy. The pain from this sharpened inside of Minghao’s heart. It was so cruel, to have only five minutes together and not even being able to hold hands or rustle the other’s hair. Of course the rules are so complicated and difficult that Minghao might not even be able to do simple things like that with Jun. 

After lying there for a few minutes to fully absorb all the pain he felt, Minghao propelled his body off the ground. He brushed off the shreds of grass on his body and looked towards the sky. He inhaled sharply, trying to stabilize his breath. But the pressure was too much now, and so he cried. He cried so much that his body went numb and cold, frozen by the pain crushing his soul every single day. Minghao felt childish and stupid to be crying over things that were not compromisable, things that were not allowed. But it still felt so unfair to Minghao. He just wants to be with one person. He doesn’t want anything or anyone else except Wen Junhui. 

He takes in a deep breath after composing himself. Clearing his throat, he curses the sky with a stream of tears running down his face. “I’ll fucking find a way. Just wait til you see Jun.”

Minghao is determined to see the night sky at any cost. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sort of surprised I managed to post another chapter haha. I've written a few more already but I just need to revise them. I promise there will be an actual plot later on and not just Minghao being sad!


	3. Part II: Cause Nothing's That Simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minghao goes to the library in hopes to find answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next chapter will mostly be about background information and history stuff. It's important to the plot, so I hope it's not too boring to read :3

_ Where summer's lasted longer than _

_ Well longer than we do _

_ When nothing really mattered _

_ Except for me to be with you _

_ Panic! At the Disco — When the Day Met the Night  _

☼

Love blinds the senses, but it seems to madden the mind as well. Minghao is seldomly interested in anything these days. He spends most of his time just doing his job and roaming around aimlessly around Solace Peak. Because of his constant habit of looking so carelessly at things, others wonder how he could be the sun god. On the outside Minghao appears to be a slacker and a bit of ditz. But really, when he’s got his mind set on something, he’s determined to the bitter end to reach his goals. It’s just that nobody sees this side of Minghao anymore. Not until today at least. 

With Jun on his mind, the boy is determined to see the moonlight. So while it’s daytime, Minghao makes his way to Perihelion Wave, a library crowded with books of all kinds. Entering the building, he takes in a deep breath and absorbs the sight. There’s a lot of books, thousands upon thousands of books carefully organized by the librarian. The librarian, Joshua Hong, maintained the building well, especially with the help of his assistant Lee Chan. Minghao enjoys reading when he can, though he rarely finds the right type of books that catch his attention. 

With the doorbell chiming, Joshua turns from his desk to see who it is. It's clear that joy is dancing inside of him when he realizes it’s Minghao.

“Hi there Minghao!” Joshua waves at him, “I haven’t seen you in a while. How are things?”

Minghao sighs. “Same as usual unfortunately. How is the library doing?” He doesn’t bring up Jun. He never does to anyone. 

“Haha the library is the same as well, nothing really changes here.” Joshua continues to talk as he begins to make his way to Minghao. “What’s troubling you Hao?” 

Minghao rubs his face and just takes another long sigh. “It’s nothing Joshua, really. I’m just having a rough day, that’s all.”

“Mhmm okay then. Just take care of yourself and let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Minghao tries his best to give a genuine smile, but it ends up looking weak. “Of course Joshua, don’t worry.”

With that Joshua returns back to his desk and continues his work, leaving Minghao to search the endless maze of bookshelves in search of something that can help him out. He doesn’t know where to begin. It’s not like most people go into a library trying to find a way to break the rules. And it’s not like the library would even hold something like that. Right?

Minghao thinks hard for a moment as he hits his head against a bookshelf.

_ Think Minghao. Think. If I were a book and I held secrets no one should know, where would I be? _

Then it hits him. Well, not exactly the answer he’s looking for, but a book from the shelf he’s been banging his head against. And with some cosmic luck, it seems useful. Bending over to pick it up, Minghao examines the book's jacket. It appears worn out, not from usage, but from the hands of time. The words on the front are embossed in a rose gold color. Written, the book reads  _ From the Start: A History About the Sun and the Moon _ . 

_ This is perfect!  _ Minghao thinks. This is probably the most luck he’s had in a while. Minghao quietly rushes over to a table in his excitement and opens the book. He doesn’t have time to read the whole thing, so he flips to the index to see if the book uses any key phrases that would serve him well. Scanning through the pages, he doesn’t find anything that sticks out.

So he has to use really basic words now as he navigates the paper mammoth. Minghao picks three phrases/words: “Cosmic Rules”, “Time”, and “Legend”. 

With the first word, he hopes to figure out what are the current boundaries and barriers between him and Junhui. He’s vaguely aware of the Cosmic Rules. The first few pages he scans bear no viable fruit though. But eventually he stumbles upon one page, it’s a chapter page which reads:

**_Chapter 8: The Boundaries: Cosmic Rules and Their Implications on the Universe_ **

Minghao sighs as he realizes he’s going to need to read the whole damn chapter if he wants to learn anything. He braces himself for the heavy load of reading he’s about to endure, all for the sake of Jun.

_ It’s for Jun.  _ Minghao tells himself.  _ For Jun, remember.  _

After about an hour or so over non stop reading. Minghao learns a few things:

  1. He’s capable of reading things besides fantasy novels, but he'll never read something like this again. 
  2. Everyone internally possesses something that links them back to their realm of origin. However there are only few that have realm specified jobs and possess an adequate amount of power that’s deemed useful. Most people in each realm exist without any need or use of magic or abilities and live normally. 
  3. A person can only communicate to and visually see those who are on the same plane as them and are from a realm related/tangential to their own. [i.e. celestial realms (sun, moon, stars, etc.) can interact with each other just like how nature ones (plants, the elements, etc.) can as well]
  4. The Cosmic Rules were written a little after the universe’s birth, when the first sentient beings came to be. The gods looked at them from above and realized that many of their actions were vile and cruel, for each being had magical powers that were abused for evil rather than good. So as a result, the gods made it so very few were able to have powers strong enough to do harm. They also implemented the Cosmic Rules as a result. Most of them are simple in nature and are implemented to help have order within the universe. However, due to significant events, there are other ones that are added over time, as the rules are revised and amended with the times. These rules were not seen as necessary until an unprecedented conflict had arisen. 
  5. The important rules Minghao needed to know were:
    1. Rule #65: Those of different realms are forbidden to meet unless they are in designated times and locations specifically and explicitly written out by the realms. 
    2. Rule #97: Those from different realms and possess a different heart from your own, i.e. polar opposites, could not physically interact with each other. This is due to a power balance that needs to be maintained in order for the universe to function smoothly. Any imbalance, especially with deities, could throw the balance off. For additional security to ensure this rule is followed, those who do make physical contact will feel as though their skin is burning off with the first touch. Any contact longer than 5 minutes will result in death. [Rule #35: Previously said that physical contact is only permitted in small quantities and for short periods of time. Extended periods of physical contact were highly discouraged.] [Established in 3 A.E.; Reference: Seungcheol and Jihoon’s Quarrel: 1 B.E.] 
    3. Rule #95:In-person verbal interactions with those who are opposite of you are limited and timed. These conversations should last no longer than 10 minutes. Afterwards, authorities will be notified of the interaction and will arrive shortly. Interactions in the past have shown to bear serious consequences, regardless if the intentions are good [Established in 2 A.E.; Reference: Seungcheol and Jihoon’s Quarrel: 1 B.E.] [Rule #45: Had previously allowed 4 hours, as it seemed that was the maximum safe amount of time that didn’t have side effects to energy levels.]
    4. Rule #90: Use your powers wisely and sparingly. Magic, while all powerful and useful, should not be meddled with. Do not use it to gain something that goes against the rules. Those who have attempted such things have suffered greatly for their actions. Expending large masses of magic energy also will have negative and irreversible effects on a person’s mind, body, and soul. 
  6. He needs to read about this quarrel that happened, because it seems super important if they made extreme rules because of them. 
  7. He needs to figure out what “A.E.” and “B.E.” mean, since these aren’t the standard measures of time that most people use now. 
  8. He’s definitely broken some rules already, so he doesn’t feel as bad about breaking some more. 



Minghao’s next search word “Time” isn’t that helpful either. Most of the pages describe how time was created and how there are time restrictions on certain tasks and activities. But he does learn that “A.E.” stands for “After the Eclipse” and “B.E.” stands for “Before the Eclipse”. Minghao only finds himself more confused by this discovery. He’s unsure what this “Eclipse” in reference is, but he decides to worry about it later. Nothing else seems essential for Minghao’s quest, so he promptly moves on to his next word. 

“Legend”

It seemed logical enough, most things have a background story or history to them. But seeing as any explanations that would bear answers to Minghao would be from decades ago, he opts for the word “legend”. Unfortunately, he doesn’t find much. It’s mostly about how the realms were created and how things were before all the rules were created. However, there were also two recurring names in the recent stories. Choi Seungcheol and Lee Jihoon. It seemed like they kept popping up again and again. So with his curiosity running a muck, Minghao tries to find this quarrel spoken about in the book. But he finds absolutely nothing about the story.

_ How can a book reference a story if it’s not going to even include it? It sounds pretty damn important too.  _ Minghao huffs out a puff of air, frustrated that he can’t find the story.

“Something the matter?”

“Ah!” Minghao jumps at the voice, closing the book shut. 


	4. Part III: Trees Bearing No Fruit, Books Bearing Few Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Minghao reading a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Chan's stagename and 'dino' in dinosaur aren't said the same way, but I just wanted to put that part in cause I thought it was cute lol.

_ “If I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it - keep going, keep going come what may.” _

_ ― Vincent van Gogh, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh _

☼

“Something the matter?”

“Ah!” Minghao jumps at the voice, closing the book shut. 

“Ah, sorry to startle you. I’m not sure if Joshua mentioned me before, but I’m Lee Chan. But you can call me Dino though.” says the boy with a wide smile plastered on his face. 

Minghao takes a moment to examine the boy, who's about 4 or 5 inches shorter than himself and has a dark brown hair color that works well with his slightly tanned skin. He’s definitely younger than Minghao from the few details he can point out that show a lack of aging.

“Dino ah?” Minghao says, ”How did you get the nickname?”

“Hahah well I may be young,” Chan explains as he places a book back into a nearby shelf, “ but my mind is loaded with information _ ― _ from the history of the universe to the plants in front of the library― that it’s like my mind is centuries older than my physical self. Apparently, Earth had these beings called dinosaurs that used to exist about a century ago. Joshua said they reminded him of me somehow, so he gave me the nickname ‘Dino’ because of it.” 

With this bit of information, Minghao is becoming interested in the boy.  _ He may be useful for finding out about this story. _

“So you know about anything? Like if I asked you a question, could you answer it? ” Minghao asks shyly, testing the waters with this potentially useful individual. 

“Hmm,” Dino nods with a sense of pride, “Almost anything in this library!”

_ Perfect.  _ Minghao thinks. He turns his body to face Dino as he throws out his question into the air. “Do you know anything about a Choi Seungcheol and a Lee Jihoon?” 

When Minghao lets the words fall out of his mouth, he swears he sees Dino tense up for a nanosecond before the boy’s body eases up again. 

“Only vaguely,” Dino responds in a flat voice, “Nobody really talks or asks about it, so I didn’t think it was useful to know by heart. I’m sorry.” Minghao can see the younger boy physically deflate. 

“No worries. Do you happen to know if there are any books on it?” Minghao pries. He doesn’t feel discouraged one bit. However, he needs answers fast because he doesn’t want to be stuck in this library any longer. It’s almost dusk anyways. 

“Mhmm nothing on the top of my head. But if my memory serves correctly, those types of books should be over there.” Dino points to a shelf on the other side of the library. “Don’t worry though! I’ll show you the way!”

The two get to the bookshelf Dino was referencing. Luckily for Minghao, the bookshelf isn’t as stuffed as most are, so it won’t be too much of a challenge finding the right book. He thanks Dino before he starts searching. 

///

Somehow, Minghao manages to find the right book. It was on the top of the shelf, so he needed a ladder to retrieve it. Letting his gaze hit the book’s jacket, he notices how bland and basic the design is, only having a creme colored exterior. After obtaining the book, he hurries to open the book and well, he’s a little taken back. First off, the book has mostly blank pages with little to no writing on them. Minghao tries not to get discouraged and begins reading the sparse pieces of text. 

xxx

_ A story that seems like it was eons ago really only starts in 20 B.E. With two births.  _

_ It was a time where things weren’t so divided and people of different realms lived rather peaceful amongst each other. However, there were two individuals who would defy the rules and shape history forever. One was named Choi Seungcheol, a young boy of Sun origin. He was a fierce soul who was never afraid of the challenges he faced. He was to claim the position as Sun Painter one day and paint the morning sky every dawn. The other was Lee Jihoon, a young boy of Moon origin. He was much more lax and withdrawn, but also had a determined spirit hidden inside of him. And just like Seungcheol, he was to claim a title when he came of age, Moon Painter, with the task of creating the night sky at dusk. They got along quite well and over time feelings between the two developed. But because of the Cosmic Rules, they were fairly restricted in the interaction. Physical contact was kept at a bare minimum. There were still time restrictions for their interactions as well because it was unclear how two people, especially two deities, interacting in high volumes would affect the universe.  _

_ However both were madly in love with each other and wanted more time. And more importantly, to go to each other’s realm. So they decided to find a way to break the power of a Cosmic Rule. At the time, this was something unheard of and perhaps even impossible. The two succeeded with their mission though. However, the results were disastrous, both on the universe and on the two individuals. As a result, the highest of gods amended several Cosmic Rules. Of course an event so grand and significant needed to be catalogued into history books. Because they were of Sun and Moon origins, the event was dubbed “Eclipse” as they had done something that darkened the universe for a brief moment in time. They had overlapped and crossed lines. It had defied all the natural rules that were never to be tampered with again. Over time the story was eventually removed from most history books and very few even reference it. There was fear the story might spark the interest of fools dumb enough to replicate such a phenomena. Most of the books are now locked away in each realm’s respective library vault. Both Seungcheol and Jihoon kept their intentions masked so as to not stir up unease within the communities. According to those close to them, none of them knew about the two boys’ plans. Any information that was found was either indecipherable or left in fragments. The two exist still in the realms of Sun and Moon, though their locations are unknown…  _

_ xxx  _

Minghao puts his head down in defeat. He gasps,“that’s it?? There’s nothing else? You have to be kidding me?”

_ Maybe there isn’t a way to break these barriers. _ He thinks at the end of the story.

He can’t use any information from the story since it’s nothing but a fairytale gone wrong to him. It’s all confusing and the tale only ends up hurting his head. Still, Minghao tries to think about how he’s going to figure this all out. How he’s going to cross realms. So Minghao thinks and thinks. He thinks so much he doesn’t realize what time it is until his sun relic faintly glows on his ear. Snapping out of this thought haze, he checks the time and sees that it’s almost dusk.

_ Shit! I need to get to the cherry tree! _

Minghao carefully puts the book back in its original place and rushes out the door, barely remembering to say goodbye to Joshua and Dino. He thanks them for their help before bursting through the front doors. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this felt like a filler chapter. I'm really excited about the next chapter though. There's a lot of angst in it.


	5. Part IV: Burning From Your Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minghao and Jun argue and things get heated. Literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning to make this chapter super angsty, but it just sort of happened. Whoops.

_ “You were unsure which pain is worse -- the shock of what happened or the ache for what never will.” _

_ ― Simon Van Booy, Everything Beautiful Began After _

☼

Minghao manages to get to the cherry tree on time. Stopping the sprint pace he had for 20 minutes, he starts to pant as he desperately tries to get air into his lungs. He hears footsteps pressed onto the grass slowly approach him.

“I was starting to get a little concerned HaoHao.” It’s Jun, looking as calm and radiant as usual. “You usually aren’t late, what happened?”

“Ah it’s nothing, I just fell asleep, nothing else.” Minghao replies as he hastily takes out his jar and paintbrush. Jun watches him closely, which only makes Minghao feel more nervous. He’s not really used to his audience watching him this close up. Still, he steadies himself and does his task. He moves his hand that’s holding the paintbrush around into circular movements that he knows by heart. Slowly, the reds and oranges were slowly pulled out from the canvas called the sky and were now swirling in the air surrounding Minghao and Jun. The colors danced around and had a cheerful tune to them. Jun doesn’t do anything but stand here in awe at what he’s seeing. Carefully, Minghao guides the colors into the jar and closes the compartment shut. He smiles as his job is done. 

When Minghao looks up from the jar, Jun is already getting his jar and brush out, which is full of blues and purples mist. Minghao watches Jun do his job now. He’s seen it before, but never this close. Some things look more beautiful up close though it seems. It’s beautiful just how Jun moves around so effortless and elegant. That he’s so gentle in the way he exists. Perhaps all people under the moon are all like this. Minghao finds he’s holding his breath and reminds himself to breathe.

_ I just want to feel like this forever.  _

Minghao really needs to find an answer soon. At this moment, Minghao doesn’t think before he speaks and just blurts out the first thing on his mind. The thing he’s been on his mind all day. 

“There might be a way for me to cross realms.” All the words just spill out of him and Minghao isn’t so sure if any of it was tangible or coherent. This catches Jun’s attention as the Moon Painter leans in a little bit, waiting for the next words to be spoken. Minghao tries to stay as calm as can, which is difficult when the other boy’s eyes are fixed on him so attentively. "But I'll need to break the rules. We actually. We need to break the rules together. Will you help me?"

The silence between them is unnerving. Jun steps away and just gives him a long stare before he says something. Before Minghao would have thought he made a mistake, but over time he realized the moon god's habit of thinking before speaking. Jun sighs, "Knowing you Sun beings, your temperament and uneasiness can't be smothered by a simple maybe. Unfortunately I can't give you an answer until I know more. So now tell me, how do you suppose this will all work out?"

Minghao just blanks hard because he doesn't have the whole scheme laid out. He's a ‘play it by ear’ type of guy, so nothing's really been planned out per say. He's barely got any information anyways! So Minghao decides to speak truthfully. "If I'm 100% honest, I'm not sure. But!" He continues hastily when he realizes Jun's got a concerned look on his face. "It's worked in the past so there must be a way still! Besides, if we put our genius minds together we'll definitely find a way!"

Jun’s face is unreadable a fraction of a second before it turns stern and stone cold. "Yes I know there's a way," Jun folds his arms across his chest, "and the consequences were severe. Cosmic Rules are rarely changed because they work well. But after that disaster,  _ two _ rules were amended. I don't think it's a good idea Minghao. Anyone can see that."

‘It doesn't matter if it’s a good idea or not, what matters is that it might just work!” Minghao exclaims, not wanting to let this go. 

Jun remains calm still, trying not to let emotions get to him. “We would be breaking the rules.”

“Fuck the rules! This,” Minghao frantically gestures to the cherry tree and everything else around them, “is breaking the rules too! I’ve never read anything about this being an acceptable place to meet since we’re from different realms.”

Jun just becomes so frustrated in the moment that he can’t keep his cool any longer, “I don’t know if you’ve lost your mind or what, but we’re fucking gods. This is where we do our fucking job Minghao. This isn’t some random hangout for anyone to meet up with friends. Nobody but us can get here. It is exempt from that rule under special circumstances.”

The cherry tree they always meet resides somewhere where no one can access it as Jun has stated. Those who possess the sun relic and the moon relic, owned by the Sun Painter and Moon Painter respectively, are the only ones the tree reveals its presence to. The tree, quite old in age, is surrounded by a pretty field of sunflowers and moonflowers, engulfed in a magical fog. 

“That’s exactly why we can do this!” Minghao protests with eyebrows furrowing, “We have the capability to _ — _ ”

“To what? To get in trouble or to die? ” Jun shoots back so fast that it shuts Minghao up. The moon god doesn’t stop in his retorts. “I don’t know what you’re thinking Minhgao, but just because you have powers doesn’t mean you can fuck around and do as you please. There’s a balance that needs to be maintained and I don’t get how you don’t see that. Stop thinking such useless things. Get your damn head out of the clouds. Dreaming is such a waste of time.”

Minghao snaps at this. Something makes his temper go through the roof, either Jun saying dreams are useless or Jun just talking down to him. He doesn’t know what overtakes him, but it’s a force stronger than his own conscience. He gets up in Jun’s face close enough for his skin to start tingling from the proximity. The Sun Painter doesn’t care about the approaching pain in this moment because he’s pissed off. “This would've never happened if you didn’t fall asleep in the damn cherry tree. I would’ve been perfectly fine not knowing you or anything to do with you. But there you were. My life would be so much more simple and less of a headache without you in it.” 

“Then leave.” says the Moon Painter in a quiet voice that Minghao doesn’t hear. Minghao doesn’t move nor reply. Jun repeats himself, “I said leave. Now. Get out of my fucking face.” 

Suddenly, Minghao feels two hands pressed against his chest as he gets shoved to the ground. There’s a burning sensation lingering across his chest. Jun’s hands are also scolding red from the contact. 

Minghao is left there in shock, wincing at the pain. Jun moves back from the Sun Painter in a different kind of shock too. They just stared at each other for a moment. Minghao felt scared for the first time in front of Jun, and Jun looked so afraid of what he'd done. Nobody wants to say anything, because the next words or actions might kill someone. At the start of their conversation, Minghao wasn’t sure what to expect. Part of him hoped that Jun would have resisted only slightly but eventually would have agreed to the idea. But everything that happened instead was shocking. Moon beings typically were much more leveled headed compared to Sun ones, so seeing Jun like this is strange. It's a balancing act created by the universe that these emotive natures are more prominent in different realms. So, it seems Minghao had accidentally tipped the scale somehow. 

Minghao takes a breath and lifts himself up from the grass. It sounds like a sigh of defeat but it's not. Minghao doesn't like to quit so easily. "Just consider it, okay?" He takes a few steps away from Jun when he speaks again, "Imagine only knowing half a story. Then imagine being given the chance to see the whole picture for the first time in your life. Both the darkness and light. Imagine seeing the other side of a story you've lived in your whole life. Wouldn't you want to know what lies beyond the night sky?" 

Minghao continues walking before he says one last line, “I thought people were supposed to dream underneath the moon and wish upon the stars, but I guess not.” Minghao's lips are pressed into a thin line as he grows further away from Jun. He doesn't hear Jun say anything. Despite the event that just unfolded, he still hopes Jun will consider the opportunity they have, despite how ludacris the idea may seem. 


End file.
